In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hilton made paintings quite unlike anybody else's in St Ives. Many were incredibly minimal, involving only one or two colours, applied very quickly in a flurry of brushmarks. He challenged the conventions of painting by using charcoal drawing throughout – not simply under the paint but over and through it as well. Alive and direct, the combination of his typically wobbly yet confident lines and the rich texture of his paint conjure an edgy eroticism. Even though they rarely depict the human figure, one can discern the suggestion of the body in almost all of them. Perhaps certain forms suggest parts of the body – particularly sexual parts; perhaps the nature of Hilton's paint and line allude to the body's processes.